Cement Kilns in the United States of America
There are over a hundred kilns in the United States of America.
This page is a work in progress. Any additional information that can be
supplied regarding the cement kilns, what they are burning and the organisations
that are opposing them would be gratefully received. Please e-mail
team@groundwork.org.za
with any information, ideas, suggestions, etc. that you might have. We're
keen to complete the list at the bottom of the page, so if you know anything
about these kilns and any organisation that might be opposing them, please
let us know.
This section last checked or updated: 2 July 2008
Downwinders At Risk
Downwinders at Risk
is a diverse grassroots citizens dedicated to reducing
toxic industrial air pollution in North Texas.
* We actively work to end cement kiln incineration of hazardous waste at the
Midlothian
industrial complex near Dallas-Ft. Worth.
* We document and expose the dangers of cement kiln incineration and other
hazardous industrial practices.
* We educate the public and provide concerned citizens the means to help
reduce toxic industrial air pollution.
* We promote public policy designed to improve the quality of air for
children, the elderly, and all at-risk individuals.
We are currently working on a green cement campaign with local cities, school boards and counties to only purchase cement from the cleanest cement companies.
We are also working with Earthjustice
in Washington D.C. on mercury regulations for cement kilns.
This section last checked or updated: 2 July 2008
Earthjustice
Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to
protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this
earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment.
We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening
environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations, coalitions and
communities.
Over 100 cement kilns release at least 12,000 pounds of mercury pollution
annually, yet the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) still has failed to issue strong protections limiting
cement kiln mercury emissions. Earthjustice is challenging EPA's failure to
protect the environment and our health.
This section last checked or updated: 2 July 2008
Huron Environmental Activist League (HEAL)
In 1985, the cement plant in Alpena, Michigan, was taken over in a leveraged buy-out
by Lafarge, part of the French conglomerate Lafarge Coppe. It was taken over with one
aim; to become the largest hazardous waste burning facility in North America. The waste
was, of course, named alternative fuel, and Lafarge was permitted to burn 17 million
gallons of hazardous waste per year.
Initially, most eople were unaware of the consequences. They had not anticipated that
the waste would come in by tanker truck and by rail, resulting in hundreds of tanker
trucks per week, laden with dangerous hazardous waste, trundling through residential
areas, past schools, over bridges and past the hospital.
While elected officials were paid for their silence, the citizens of Alpena became
increasingly concerned and formed HEAL in 1991. They have been fighting Lafarge
ever since.
For many years the cement kiln emitted millions of pounds of toxic substances into the
air of Alpena county. Pollution from Lafarge placed the county in the top 10% of the
dirtiest counties in the United States. Although they stopped burning hazardous waste
in 2001, the plant is still emitting over one million pounds of toxic substances every
year.
Lafarge is now using fly ash from a Canadian power plant, and has become the emitter of
the most dangerous and toxic form of merdury - ionized mercury vapour. They are emitting in
the region of 580 pounds of mercury per annum. There are 453.6 grams in a pound. One gram,
which is about 1/2 teaspoon, will pollute a 20 acre lake to the extent that a fish eating
advisory would be warranted. At their current rate, Lafarge is emitting at least 250 000 grams
each year. Because the plant stands right on the shore of Thunder Bay of Lake Huron, the entire
watershed is contaminated with mercury.
This section last checked or updated: 2 July 2008
List of Kilns
| City | Company | AFR? | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | |||
| Calera | Blue Circle Inc. | ? | ? |
| Demopolis | Medusa Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Leeds | Lehigh Portland Cement | ? | ? |
| Ragland | Natl. Cement Co. of Alabama | ? | ? |
| Theodore | Holnam Inc. | ? | ? |
| Arizona | |||
| Clarkdale | Phoenix Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Rillito | California Portland Cement | ? | ? |
| Arkansas | |||
| Foreman | Ash Grove Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| California | |||
| Colton | California Portland Cement | ? | ? |
| Cupertino | Kaiser Cement Group | ? | ? |
| Davenport | RMC Lonestar | ? | ? |
| Lebec | Natl. Cement Co. of California | ? | ? |
| Lucerne Valley | Mitsubishi Cement Corp. | ? | ? |
| Mojave | California Portland Cement | ? | ? |
| Oro Grande | Texas Industries | ? | ? |
| Redding | Calaveras Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Tehachapi | Calavaras Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Victorville | Southdown Inc. | ? | ? |
| Colorado | |||
| Florence | Holnam Inc. | ? | ? |
| Fort Collins | Holnam Inc. | ? | ? |
| Lyons | Southdown Inc. | ? | ? |
| Florida | |||
| Alachua | Florida Rock Inds. Inc. | ? | ? |
| Brooksville | Florida Crushed Stone | ? | ? |
| Brooksville | Southdown Inc. | ? | ? |
| Jacksonville | US Gypsum Co. | ? | ? |
| Medley | Pennsuco Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Miami | Rinker Portland Cement Corp. | ? | ? |
| Port Manatee | Florida Cement Inc. | ? | ? |
| Georgia | |||
| Atlanta | Blue Circle Inc. | ? | ? |
| Clinchfield | Medusa Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Hawaii | |||
| Ewa Beach | Hawaiian Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Idaho | |||
| Inkom | Ash Grove Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Seattle | Holnam Inc. | ? | ? |
| Illinois | |||
| Dixon | Dixon-Marquette | ? | ? |
| Grand Chain | Lafarge Corporation | ? | ? |
| LaSalle | Centex | ? | ? |
| Oglesby | Lone Star Industries | ? | ? |
| Indiana | |||
| Greencastle | Lone Star Industries | ? | ? |
| Logansport | Essroc Materials | ? | ? |
| Mitchell | Lehigh Portland Cement | ? | ? |
| Speed | Essroc Cement Corp. | ? | ? |
| Iowa | |||
| Buffalo | Lafarge Corporation | ? | ? |
| Davenport | Linwood Mining & Minerals | ? | ? |
| Fort Dodge | US Gypsum Fort Dodge Plant | ? | ? |
| Mason City | Holnam Inc. (Holcim) | ? | ? |
| Mason City | Lehigh Portland Cement | ? | ? |
| Sperry | USG Sperry | ? | ? |
| Kansas | |||
| Chanute | Ash Grove Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Fredonia | Lafarge Corporation | ? | ? |
| Humboldt | Monarch Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Independence | RC Cement Co. Inc. | ? | ? |
| Kentucky | |||
| Kosmosdale | Kosmos Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Maine | |||
| Thomaston | Dragon Products Co. | ? | ? |
| Maryland | |||
| Hagerstown | Independent Cement Corp. | ? | ? |
| Union Bridge | Lehigh Portland Cement | ? | ? |
| Michigan | |||
| Alpena | Lafarge Midwest Inc. | Ceased | HEAL |
| Charlevoix | Medusa Cement Co. (Cemex) | ? | ? |
| Detroit | Carmeuse Lime Inc. | ? | ? |
| Detroit | US Gypsum Co. | ? | ? |
| Dundee | Holnam Inc. (Holcim) | ? | ? |
| River Rouge | Carmeuse Lime Inc. | ? | ? |
| Mississippi | |||
| Artesia | Holnam Inc. | ? | ? |
| Missouri | |||
| Cape Girardeau | Lone Star Industries | ? | ? |
| Clarksville | Holnam Inc. (Holcim) | ? | ? |
| Festus | RC Cement Co. Inc. | ? | ? |
| Frederick | Essroc Materials | ? | ? |
| Hannibal | Continental Cement Co. Inc. | ? | ? |
| St Genevieve | Chemical Lime Co. | ? | ? |
| St Genevieve | Mississippi Lime Co. | ? | ? |
| Sugar Creek | Lafarge Corporation | ? | ? |
| Montana | |||
| Three Forks | Holnam Inc. | ? | ? |
| Montana City | Ash Grove Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Nebraska | |||
| Louisville | Ash Grove Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Nevada | |||
| Fernley | Centex | ? | ? |
| Logandale | Royal Cement Co. Inc. | ? | ? |
| New Mexico | |||
| Tijeras | Rio Grande Cement Corp. | ? | ? |
| New York | |||
| Catskill | Independent Cement Corp. | ? | ? |
| Glen Falls | Glan Falls Cement Co. Inc. | ? | ? |
| Ravena | Blue Circle Inc. | ? | ? |
| Ohio | |||
| Bettsville | Carmeuse Lime Inc. | ? | ? |
| Fairborn | Southdown Inc. | ? | ? |
| Genoa | Graymont Dolime | ? | ? |
| Logan | GE Co. Logan Glass Plant | ? | ? |
| Millersville | Carmeuse Lime Inc. | ? | ? |
| Paulding | Lafarge Corporation | ? | ? |
| Rossford | Pilkington N.A. Inc. | ? | ? |
| Stow | St Gobain Norpor Corp. | ? | ? |
| Sugar Creek | Belden Brick Co. Plant 2 | ? | ? |
| Sugar Creek | Belden Brick Co. Plant 3 | ? | ? |
| Sugar Creek | Belden Brick Co. Plant 6 | ? | ? |
| Sugar Creek | Belden Brick Co. Plant 8 | ? | ? |
| Woodville | Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialities | ? | ? |
| Xenia | Cemex Inc. Fairborn Cement Plant | ? | ? |
| Oklahoma | |||
| Ada | Holnam Inc. | ? | ? |
| Pryor | Lone Star Industries | ? | ? |
| Tulsa | Blue Circle Inc. | ? | ? |
| Oregon | |||
| Durkee | Ash Grove Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Pennsylvania | |||
| Aliquippa | US Gypsum Co. | ? | ? |
| Bath | Giant Cement Holding Inc. (Keystone) | ? | ? |
| Bellefonte | Con-Lime | ? | ? |
| Bellefonte | Graymont | ? | ? |
| Bessemer | Essroc Materials | ? | ? |
| Blandon | Allentown Cement Co. Inc. | ? | ? |
| Cabot | Armstrong Cement & Sup. Corp. | ? | ? |
| Fleetwood | Lehigh Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Lebanon | Carmeuse Lime Inc. | ? | ? |
| Nazareth | Essroc Cement Corp. | ? | ? |
| Nazareth | Essroc Materials | ? | ? |
| Pittsburgh | Kosmos Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Pleasant Gap | Graymont Inc. | ? | ? |
| Slippery Rock | Mercer Lime & Stone Co. | ? | ? |
| Stockerton | RC Cement Co. Inc. (Hercules Cement) | ? | ? |
| Wampum | Medusa Cement Co. (Cemex) | ? | ? |
| Whitehall | Lafarge Corporation | ? | ? |
| York | LWB Refractories | ? | ? |
| South Carolina | |||
| Harleyville | Blue Circle Inc. | ? | ? |
| Harleyville | Giant Cement Holding Inc. | ? | ? |
| Holly Hill | Holnam Inc. | ? | ? |
| South Dakota | |||
| Rapid City | Dacotah Cement | ? | ? |
| Tennessee | |||
| Chattanooga | RC Cement Co. Inc. | ? | ? |
| Knoxville | Southdown Inc. | ? | ? |
| Texas | |||
| Buda | Texas-Lehigh Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Midlothian | Holnam Inc. | ? | Downwinders at Risk |
| Midlothian | North Texas Cement | ? | Downwinders at Risk |
| Midlothian | Texas Industries | ? | Downwinders at Risk |
| New Braunfels | Sunbelt Cenent Corp. | ? | ? |
| New Braunfels | Texas Industries | ? | ? |
| Odessa | Southdown Inc. | ? | ? |
| San Antonio | Alamo Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| San Antonio | Capitol Aggregates Inc. | ? | ? |
| Sweetwater | Lone Star Industries | ? | ? |
| Virginia | |||
| Cloverdale | Roanoke Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Washington | |||
| Seattle | Ash Grove Cement Co. | ? | ? |
| Seattle | Holnam Inc. | ? | ? |
| West Virginia | |||
| Martinsburg | Capitol Cement Corp. | ? | ? |
| Wyoming | |||
| Laramie | Centex | ? | ? |
This section last checked or updated: 2 July 2008
